Safety explosive.



FIP79OQ NORBERT CEIPEK, 0F VIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

SAFETY laxrnosrvn.

No Drawing.

T 0 all whom it ma y-concern Be it known that- I, Nonenn'r Cmrmc, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary, residing at Vienna, Mistrial-Hungary, have invented certain new and useful Imrovements in the Manufacture of Safety xplosives, of which the following is a specification.

As is generally well known, many of the so-called safety explosives consist of a mixture of ammonium nitrate and a carboniferous agent. Experiments have shown that by adding to the above named mixture of ammonium nitrate and a carboniferous agent the powder of nitrated turmeric root, or by using the powder of nitrated turmeric rootas the sole carboniferous agent mixed with the ammonium nitrate, the safety of working, the permanence and the explosive power of such explosive compounds are increased whereas at the same time their bygroscopic qualities are diminished.

The nitration of the powder of turmeric root is preferably performed in the following manner: The primary material, from which it is advantageous to extract. previously the coloring substances by boiling in water, is dried and ground, whereupon it is treated with a mixture of nitric acid and sulfuric acid. The nitratin'g acid is a mixture of nitric acid, sulfuric acid and water in about the following proportions: 33% of nitric acid, 45.5% of sulfuric acid. 21.57, of water, and this mixture is generally used in the proportions of 10 parts by weight of the mixture to 1 part of weight of the treated dr material. The finelv ground, dried and si ted material is addedin successive small quantities into the nitrating acids and is constantly stirred until it is thoroughly and uniformly mixed with the acid. \Vhen the whole quantity of the treated material has been introduced into the acids an equal quantity of cold water is added, whereupon the-stirring is interrupted and the whole mixture is left to rest until a powder of light yellow color has been precipitated on the bottom of the receptacle. After the reaction has taken place-the acid is drained off, the product of the reaction is washed in water and'dried. In this manner a product is obtained that is insensitive against blows or shocks. As primary material can also be em )loyed carbonized turmeric powder which [S submitted to the process of nitration.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 23, 1912. Application filed September 5 1911. Serial No. 647,741.

The manufacture of the explosive is simple and without danger. From 80 to 90 parts of ammonium nitrate and from 20 to 10 parts of nitrated turmeric powder are first carefully dried and then intimately mixed and finely ground in a drum mill. The explosive thus obtained is quite insensitive to shock, blow and free fire, and can only be exploded by an initial explosion, preferably a detonator containing a charge of 2 grams.

v If it is intended to mix with the ammonium nitrate besides the powder of nitrated turmeric root also other carboniferous agents, it is preferable to use a mixture of carbonized turmeric powder-and ofcarbonized sandal wood as a carboniferous agent because the admixture of the carbonizedsandal wood considerably increases the speed of combustion. v

An explosive compound obtained by the intimate mixing together of 88% of ammonium nitrate, 1.05% of carbonized turmeric powder, 0.95% of carbonized sandal wood and 10% of nitrated turmeric powder possesses an explosive power which: produces an expansion of from 1300 to 1400 cm of Trauzls lead cylinder and besides it presents full security of working and full permanence as also little hygroscopicity. For increasing the explosive power-ofthe product to the said compound consisting of ammonium nitrate and nitrated turmeric powder may be admixed in the known manner trinitrotoluene or dinitrotoluene or a mixture of these two nitro-compmmds.

In order to obtain not only an increase of the explosive power of the said explosive compound but also an increase of their pernnlnence. and of their charging density and at the same time to diminish their hygroscopic qualities, to the said mixtures gelatinized nitro-cellulose may be added in ac cordance with the present invention.

As suitable proportions by weight for the constituents of an explosive made according to the invention, the following may be named: 82 parts of annnonium-nitrate, 4 parts of nitrated turmeric powder, 10 parts of trinitrotoluene and 4 parts of a gelatin consisting of 0.17 parts of nitro-cellulose and 3.83 parts of diuitrotolucno.

'lhe aulvantages of the use of uitrated turmeric root as the sole eurlumaceous material in safety explosives reside in the facts that the expiosives yield an extremely favorable Q i i 1,033,537

after damp, that they have high stabilitywhen stored, and that in consequence of its fine subdivision and combustibility the nitrated turmeric powder develops high ex plosive power.

I claimv 1. A safety explosive which has great safety in. use, great stability and high explosive power, comprising ammonium nitrate mixed with nitrated turmeric powder as a carbonaceous material.

2. A safety explosive compound comprising ammonium nitrate mixed with nitrated turmeric powder and with another carboniferous agent.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of l atents,

Washington, D. C. v 

